The Music of the Night
by lifemaybefleeting
Summary: After Erik mysteriously disappears, Christine is forced to hide out in his old lair, hoping for his return as she finds herself raising his child.
1. Snow

"_My love… do not cry, oh please, do not cry…"_

The cold winter's wind blew hard through the Parisian streets. A winter storm like this was fairly uncommon in France, and certainly most of the city's people had never seen it snow this much. The blizzard was ruthless; snow coated the streets and pebbles of what felt like ice struck the poor faces of those who were forced to be outside. It was horrid. The wind blew so hard that it knocked some people over or froze them almost immediately. Anyone who dared to be outside in this cold was either hurrying home from work, or homeless on the streets, but even most of the beggars had found a place to stay for the night.

Unless you were the most unfortunate in the city at this time. And that was no other than a young woman, a girl who had not seen twenty years yet. She stumbled through the blistering cold, carrying an old, torn satchel close to her heart. She held to it for dear life, not wanting whatever could be inside to be harmed.

Christine Daaé had once been the talk of the town. A rising star, they'd called her. She was said to have the world's greatest voice.

But no one talked about her that way now.

Only less than a year ago, Christine had been that rising star. She'd received the leading role at Paris's most famous Opera House, starring as Elisa in Hannibal. Oh, she'd been phenomenal, and everyone thought so as well! She continued to rise, receiving other roles from companies all over Europe, but being the humble woman she was, she stayed in Paris.

Although, things were not always happy for Christine.

Behind the curtain, she was leading a life that only she knew about, at least for a while. She'd been taking lessons in private with a man no one else had seen before. Even Christine hadn't known his name until their last night together.

Oh, that night… she'd went down for her usual music lesson, excited to hear the new piece he had composed for her. She called him her Angel of Music, for she didn't know his name and to her, he was an angel. The tall, lean man sat at his organ as she entered his realm, only a few candles lighting the room. "Angel…" she had called, causing him to turn to her. He stood then and greeted her, his mask glowing in the candlelight. "Mademoiselle…" he returned, bowing and placing a polite kiss on her hand.

Their music lesson had started like any other, doing scales and a few warm ups. But then, he had told her to take a seat on the bench, for he wanted to play his music for her. Christine was ecstatic, for she'd been looking forward to hearing his new composition for weeks!

He begun to play, and Christine was taking into the wonderful world of the Angel's music. Oh, but then he began to sing… his voice was heavenly! The most beautiful she'd ever heard! She simply melted, her heart speeding up as she began to feel something she'd never felt before…

Right as his song ended, the man turned to Christine, finding that she already had her big, brown eyes locked onto his golden orbs. Before he knew it, she had pressed her soft lips against his malformed ones, taking him in for the best and first kiss of his life.

The kiss never ended, either. Before either of them knew it, they had left the organ and found themselves in his own room, atop of a beautiful canopy bed. They had made their own music that night, and in the afterglow of their love, Christine had asked him his name.

"_Erik_," he'd whispered, his soft, angelic voice filling her ear. He'd begun to sing her a sweet lullaby, and soon, Christine had fallen into a delicate slumber.

Now, as she pushed her way through the cold winter wind, she could still hear his voice whispering his name to her. "_Erik…_"

That was the last time she saw her angel. She awoke in the morning alone, and not in the beautiful canopy bed. Christine found herself clothed in her dressing room, sleeping on the small cot the Opera House provided her when she'd stay the night. She panicked, thinking the last night was a dream, but when she went to her dressing mirror, she found that it had been all real. Little marks covered the side of her of her neck, reminding Christine of her Angel's soft lips.

But where was he? Why was she in her dressing room? How had she gotten there?please, don'

Christine had quickly gotten up, trying to open the mirror and calling for Erik. She didn't understand how she had gotten up there, and the only thing she could think of was that Erik did it. She pressed her hands to the glass and called his name for what felt like hours, but there was no response. She frowned and returned to her dressing table, unsure of what to do and hoping that Erik would return to her. She waited nearly all day long, sitting and staring. Of course, she had attempted to keep herself entertained, but it was no use.

Sadly, Erik never returned to her. Not that day, nor the next. Weeks passed, months passed… and Erik never came back. Christine had even tried to get down to his lair, but always found it to be empty and the boat to be gone, so she could never get across. And of course, she didn't know how to open the mirror, so she couldn't go that way, either.

Thankfully, today was different for her. Christine saw the outline of the enormous opera house in front of her, behind all of the snow and wind. She quickly hurried towards the building, traveling the perimeter to find some way to sneak inside. Finally, after searching and searching, she saw what looked like a small, rod Iron Gate peeking out from a small snowbank. She got on her knees, still clinging to the satchel as she dug through the snow with her free hand. Though Christine found that this was not a gate… it was a little window! Oh, God had shown mercy on her poor soul! She quickly climbed in, slipping through the tight space and landing about seven feet below on the cold floor in a dark room.

Christine slowly stood and looked around, not exactly where in the building she was. There was a dim candlelight coming from a hallway on her left, and she quickly followed the light, hoping it would lead her someplace safe, maybe even towards the dressing rooms!

After following down the hall for nearly ten minutes, Christine found that it was getting darker and damper. Was she entering the cellars?

Her question was soon answered when she saw in the distance the gleam of water… the underground lake! His lair was near here, she had finally made her way down!

Looking off to the shore, Christine saw what she'd been looking for for months. Erik's boat was tied up on the post, bobbing slowly in the wading water. Had he returned? Or had he really never left until recently? Not caring for an answer at this time, Christine hurried to the boat, climbing in and weakly rowing towards the lair.

As soon as the boat was on the other side, Christine climbed out and made her way inside of Erik's home. "Erik!" she called, nearly out of breath, her feet, hands, and cheeks still feeling numb. "Erik, are you present?"

But there was no answer. The home was dark, the few candles that still burned were nearly out of wax and wick. It was obvious someone hadn't been here for a long time…

Christine was defeated. She sunk to the floor and began to cry, and her cries were soon matched by much smaller ones.

She set the satchel in her lap and quickly opened it, lifting her newborn child into her arms and rocking it slowly. "My dear, oh my child, forgive me…" she said softly, tears rolling down her frozen cheeks. "_Forgive me…_"


	2. The Devil's Child

Christine cradled the crying child in her arms, trying to calm her and cease her sadness. "Oh my child, bless your soul… please, do not cry any longer… I'm here, I shall protect you…" she vowed, her voice shaky from both emotion and lack of heat. But Christine knew the child was probably cold, hungry, and tired… oh, she was already a horrible mother, and she'd only given birth a few mere hours ago!

Bringing her child into the world was the most difficult thing Christine had ever done. The labor and delivery was extremely long and tiring, going on for nearly ten hours. She'd been brought in by a man and his wife who had found her on the street, showing signs of premature labor. The couple hadn't recognized her at all, even though not even a year ago, Christine was a rising star. But once she'd found that she was with child, she threw her career away.

The truth was that Christine did not want anyone at the Opera House to know of her pregnancy, for if they did, she would have to figure out whom to tell them the father was, and it would be far too difficult. She could not tell them that the child's father was the ruthless Opera Ghost who had terrorized the company for years! She would be thought of as mad, and her child would be killed!

Although, she had not told a soul who the father was and yet, everyone still wanted her child dead…

In fear, Christine had fled to the streets, dropping everything she had and running. She left the Opera House as soon as her pregnancy began to become more obvious and stayed hidden, not saying goodbye to anyone or explaining where she was going. Everyone had thought that she'd just disappeared. Some thought she'd maybe even died somehow, but there was no explanation on where her body was. Though she soon was forgotten, that was, until today…

Christine had been in the street, dirty and cold as she huddled against the chimney of a building to keep warm. It hadn't yet begun to storm, but she could feel the winter weather getting closer. The young girl had been feeling pains since she'd woken up that morning, huddled in her torn blanket and shall. She had been thrown out of an inn the night earlier for not being able to pay her dues, and now she was forced back onto the cold cobblestones once more.

She had tried to ignore the pains, but found that they simply would not go away. It was only when the snow began to fall that they became unbearable and she couldn't stop herself from crying out, clutching her swollen stomach and hunching over. It was then that a man and his wife began to pass, hurrying home before the storm. The woman had noticed young Christine and went to her. When she noted her to be pregnant, she had her husband hail a carriage and they helped her to the hospital.

Christine knew God was watching over her, for if the couple hadn't stopped and helped, both she and her baby would have died.

Once at the hospital, Christine's feet were put in slings to help elevate her so the midwives could see what was wrong. They found her to be in labor and helped position her, cleaning her up and placing a rag on her forehead to help calm her, but Christine wouldn't calm. The pain was too immense for her; she had never experienced something that hurt so bad!

She had arrived at the hospital at roughly noon, and did not deliver the child until around ten in the evening. Oh, Christine was so relieved to hear the cries of her child… that was until those cries were mixed with gasps and screams from the midwives.

"_The Devil's Child!_" One exclaimed, her eyes wide as she stared at the infant. "This woman has given birth to the Devil's Child!"

Christine was in extreme pain and exhausted, but that didn't stop her from using all of her remaining strength to sit up. "What do you speak of? Give me my child!" she cried, trying to catch a glimpse of the newborn baby that lay shrieking at the foot of the bed. The midwives panicked, saying that a demon had been born, that they'd delivered the antichrist. Christine quickly tore apart her legs and sat up further, looking down at the child she'd just delivered.

Her breath caught in her throat as she stared down at her crying child, who was shaking and screaming out, obviously afraid and seeming to be in pain. This was obviously no ordinary child… this one bore the face of a monster.

Christine's lip began to quiver as she stared at it's features. The child appeared to only had half of a mouth, one side of it's lips being fused together and rounder, making it look like a half circle on the one side. Up by it's cheek, veins were visible and dark against it's extremely pale skin. One of the cheeks looked like it had been pulled and stretched until it couldn't be any longer, which was probably why her mouth seemed so pulled as well, leaving the opposite side rounded. Up by her hairline was a dark birthmark that was large and visible through the child's light brown hair. Oh, Christine had never seen such a child, and apparently, neither had anyone else.

"Get her out! Rid the establishment of the witch and her demon!" one of the women said, throwing a blanket at Christine to wrap the child in. Before she could protest, she was pulled from the bed onto her weak legs and her child was shoved into her arms before she was thrown out of the hospital and into the snow. The baby's cries echoed through the nearly empty street, and Christine knew now was not the time to draw attention to herself. That was when she'd pulled her satchel from her body and opened it, wrapping her child in the blanket and placing it in the satchel, not wanting the poor thing to freeze to death.

And now, as she sat back in Erik's lair, she took the chance to look at her poor child. Christine found that she had given birth to a little girl who was the tiniest child she'd ever seen in her life. Her features were extreme, frightening at first… but the longer she looked at the child, the more she began to see past those horrific deformities…

Christine saw that her daughter shared some similar features with her. Her hair seemed a bit lighter than Christine, but it was nearly identical nevertheless. She had a little body, complete with little hands and feet, just like her mother. And as odd as it was… she even seemed to have melodic cries… though it was hard to tell whether those were from her mother or father.

It was hard for Christine to tell which features the child had received from her father, for he had never allowed her to see his face. "I must remain anonymous," he had always said. He'd donned a mask every time she'd seen him, even when making love to her, he'd refused to take it off.

"Once you see me, you will change your mind."

What had he meant when he said that? Did she know him from someplace? Christine never knew, and feared she never would, and oh, these questions kept her up at night.

As her daughter continued to cry, Christine realized that she needed to calm her. Gathering some strength, she lifted the child up a bit and helped her try and nurse for the first time, bringing her to her warm breast. Since the child's mouth was in such an odd shape, it was hard for her to nurse, and she began to cry again.

"My child, do not fret, I will help you…" Christine cooed softly, stroking the baby's mangled face gently with her hand. She then placed the same hand behind the child's head, pressing her up closer so she would not loose grip on the nipple. It took a few more tries, but finally, she was able to nurse, her cries quieting as her needs were met.

Christine hummed softly, trying to relax her poor baby, for she had surely had an extremely scary day… she had been welcomed into the world by horrid, screaming midwives. No other children had to endure that! This was the first time Christine had even gotten to hold her child in a loving way. The thoughts of such things saddened her and she tried to push them from her mind, thinking of better things.

"I suppose I should give my little girl a name, shouldn't I?" she said quietly, giving a soft smile. She pondered names for a moment, looking down at her child and trying to find one that fit. There were so many beautiful names out there that she could choose from, and she wanted her daughter to have the best.

Christine finally decided to name her Evangeline Marguerite. Of course, she'd chosen the child's second name after the role Erik had told Christine he'd always wanted to see her play. He'd told her she'd be a wonderful Marguerite…

She didn't give her daughter the last name of Daaé, for she hoped that someday, she would see Erik again… maybe then, Evangeline could take on his name, as well as Christine. Oh, but would Erik be repulsed by their poor child? Would he accept her, or would he think her a demon like everyone else had?

Christine tried not to think about those things and instead focused on small Evangeline. She was so tiny, so innocent… how could the world already hate her? Christine knew she would have to hide the child, and she figured there was no better place to keep her hidden than down here, in her father's realm…

As much as it pained Christine to keep her daughter away from the world above, she knew it was her only choice. Christine could become Evangeline's only friend, along with her mother. She vowed that she would protect her child, she would not be ashamed of her face… and she would teach her daughter to think the same.

The infant soon finished nursing, her little crooked mouth opening a bit wider as she yawned. A soft smile spread across Christine lips as she noticed how tired her little angel was. "Rest now, my dear Evangeline… I will be here when you wake, I swear it to you. I love you..." She whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her daughter's forehead. Before she knew it, the child was asleep in her arms, her tiny chest rising and falling slowly.

Christine's motherly instincts kicked in and she swaddled her closer in the blanket, getting up slowly and going to Erik's bedroom. Of course, she found it to be empty, and decided to spend the night in his bed. Being careful with Evangeline, Christine pulled back the covers and crawled inside, laying her head on his soft pillows as she clutched her sleeping child close to her chest.

Both girls slept peacefully throughout the night, little did they know that soon enough, they would not be alone…


	3. Footsteps

Time began to go on, and the days only grew colder. Poor Christine was exhausted, waking numerous times in the night to comfort her crying child. She constantly needed to be fed, held, changed… but there was something else bothering her, and that hurt Christine.

As nearly a week passed, Christine began to notice why she cried so much… she was in pain. She began to notice that Evangeline would try and move her mouth, extending it, whether it be to yawn or eat, and would begin to cry. Being so young, she could hardly move her neck or arms, but when she did, she would try to rub her malformed cheek against things or bring her hand to it.

The thought that her child was hurting crushed Christine, and she quickly tried to help the pain she may be feeling. She had rushed to Erik's washroom, warming a wet rag and gently placing it to her child's face as she cried, watching as she began to calm. "It is alright, my child… I will help you…" she whispered, softly holding the rag against her deformed face. It was evident that the warmth and moisture was helping sooth the poor child's pain, which of course, greatly pleased Christine. She decided to continue, bringing her tiny child into the washroom and running bath water for them both.

As soon as the washbasin was filled with warm water, Christine undressed herself, slipping into the water and carefully cradling Evangeline in her arms. "Alright, my love… if you thought that felt divine this will certainly make you happy," she smiled, removing the little cloth diaper she'd tied on her and dipping her into the water. Of course, Christine was careful to keep a good grip on her, not letting her slip into the water. She held her close to her still, taking the rag and dabbing her little face once more.

Over the past week, Christine had been growing closer and closer to her daughter. Spending every waking moment together surely helped, and even though the child demanded a lot, Christine adored her. In truth, she didn't mind all of the feeding, changing, and nurturing. It gave her comfort as well, knowing that she had something to take care of, something to live for. Evangeline had quickly gotten Christine wrapped around her tiny finger, and the young woman's whole world revolved around her little baby.

She now watched adoringly as the pain disappeared from Evangeline's face, her features relaxing as the water calmed her. The child even began to coo softly, which brought a large smile to her mother's face. Though that smile soon disappeared as a strange noise came from not too far from the home on the lake.

Christine quickly reached for one of the towels and stood with her child, thanking god that she did not cry once removed from the water. She wrapped the towel around herself and swaddled the baby up, letting the water sit in the washbasin as she hurried from the bathroom. Had her ears deceived her? Or was she in true danger?

In the short time she had been here, she'd never heard noises of any kind, only the ones she or her child made. To hear noises such as these was certainly alarming, and Christine knew she needed to protect her and her child, just as she'd vowed.

The young soprano crept back to Erik's bedroom, hurrying to find something for her to put on in case there was someone lurking about. Not letting go of her child, Christine went to Erik's armoire, opening it quickly and digging through it. Inside were simple white dress shirts, black trousers, and a couple different pairs of breeches, socks, and bowties. Figuring this was the best she could do on such a short notice, Christine dressed quickly in one of his dress shirts, finding it fit her almost like a knee length dress, for she was much shorter than her old teacher…

There was another odd noise coming from outside of the home. Christine couldn't quite make out what such a noise could be, but it frightened her nevertheless. Acting quickly, she brought Evangeline to her chest to try and comfort her, to make sure she would not cry. Together, they hurried to find a place to hide.

The noises continued, and Christine soon realized what the noises she was currently hearing were: The sounds of someone coming over on the boat! Certainly this was not Erik's boat, for she had taken his boat to get here! Who else knew to have a boat with them when they found this place? Oh, were the police coming after her? Was it angry citizens after her and the child?

Her thoughts caused her to become even more frightened, and Christine knew she had to get her and her daughter hidden quickly, for whoever this was was getting closer and closer each second.

Christine heard the sound of a boat being docked as she quickly took cover within the grand armoire, just barely fitting inside with the door closed. She rocked Evangeline in her arms, continuing to keep her quiet. Oh, God must've been watching over her, for usually her child would be in tears by now! She thanked the lord for her infant's silence and listened, soon hearing the front door to Erik's home open and close. Someone had entered the home…

Her heart raced faster than it ever had, feeling as though it may beat right out of her chest. Fear consumed her and Christine slammed her eyes shut, sitting within the dark piece of furniture, buried under hung up shirts, trousers, and undergarments. She tried to keep quiet herself as tears of her own threatened to fall. Oh, but Christine would not let them, she had to stay strong… if she cried, she knew surely that Evangeline would cry as well.

As she listened, Christine heard footsteps coming a bit closer to the bedroom, but thankfully they headed another direction, towards the washroom. There was a pause in the walking and she could hear an odd grumble, but couldn't quite make out what the person had said. Then, before she knew it, the footsteps were on the move once more. Christine panicked silently as she was unable to track where they were going.

This continued for what seemed like years, but in reality was only about ten minutes. Whoever this was was exploring every room, which made Christine think that they were searching for something. Was it a thief? The police? Or just a curious wanderer?

"Bloody hell…" a voice said, sounding much closer than where the footsteps had just been. Were their two people? Oh, what did fate have in store for her now!?

Christine curled up in a ball in the armoire, clutching Evangeline tightly to her chest. It was then that the unthinkable happened…

Evangeline began to cry.

Christine panicked, quickly attempting to cover the child's mouth and silence her, but she knew it was too late. By now, whoever was in the home had surely heard, and the footsteps were coming quickly towards the armoire. Christine soon began to cry as well, thinking that this could possibly be the end of her life.

Suddenly, the doors to the armoire flew open, revealing Christine in her state of desperation and her small child, pressed to it's mother's chest and crying loudly, obviously a bit uncomfortable.

Christine slowly gazed up to the tall man who stood before them, looking down and letting the candlelight illuminate his face.

The white mask shone in the light like a newly risen sun.

"_Christine?"_


	4. Erik's Return

It had been nearly a year since Erik had been home in his lair. In all honesty, lately he had been missing the cold, dark, dismal place a bit. It was odd to miss such a place as this, such a lonely hell… He thought that maybe he didn't miss the lair.

He just missed seeing Christine in it with him.

Since he'd been gone, Erik had seen Spring, Summer, Fall, and now Winter without his love, his protégé. Thoughts of Christine had been flooding his mind for months, and he couldn't stop them, no matter how hard he'd tried.

Erik hadn't wanted to leave Paris, his lair, and most of all, his Christine, but he felt he had no choice. At the time, in the late Spring, Erik had been on the verge of being found. He had heard word that the police were onto him, getting close to finding whoever was taking the funds from the managers. Of course, they'd threatened it before, but this was different.

The police had nearly found the lair this time. He'd been going up to receive the funds and watch over rehearsals when he'd heard them. They were exploring the cellars for clues of where this so called "Ghost" had lived. Erik panicked, for they'd never come down this far before!

Luckily that day, they hadn't gone all the way down to the fifth cellar. They called it unfit for a human to live in and stopped at the fourth. But this was a wakeup call to Erik. If they had come down this far, they could eventually come further in the future… he had to escape. If he was caught, he'd surely be killed for his crimes!

And then there was Christine.

She'd come for her music lesson the day after Erik had seen the police in the cellars. He had had half a mind to send her away to safety, but the other half of him badly wanted her to stay. He'd felt something for Christine for such a long time, too long for him to remember… and he'd never thought she felt the same. But he'd played her a song, and she'd kissed him! She'd _kissed him_! Her soft, angelic lips had graced his malformed ones, pulling him quickly into a state of bliss he'd never felt before. And soon, their kiss had become more urgent… and Christine was accepting it, welcoming it! She had placed her delicate hands onto his shirt-clad chest, her shaky breath passing through Erik's lips. She'd wanted him, wanted to love him… her angel!

It was then that they'd past a point of no return… he'd touched the small of her back, where the buttons to her day dress were, and she hadn't stopped him! Instead, she'd begun to remove his bowtie from around his neck and unbutton his jacket, sliding it over his shoulders. Erik couldn't resist her… he'd begun to unbutton the back of her dress, pulling her legs around his hips as he slowly picked her up, never breaking their heated kiss as he carried her to his bedroom…

It was there that she'd given him consent to touch her, to make love to her… she'd nearly begged him! The quiet words had left her tongue on a sigh, flowing to Erik's ears as he placed kisses on the soft skin of her neck. Erik had fully removed her dress, petticoat, and undergarments with her help and gazed at her natural beauty. Oh, she truly was an angel! Her skin glowed bright as a thousand stars, pale as the falling snow in the winter. Her bright eyes stared up at him as he'd slipped gracefully out of his trousers and breeches, climbing atop of her and running his hand up her warm thigh, leaning down to capture her lips in a breathless kiss.

Erik had never thought he'd share something like this with a woman, especially Christine. She had been so young, so innocent… and she'd let him lie with her, a man who's own face she'd never even seen! He was nearly a stranger… and she'd kissed him, made love to him!

It wasn't until the morning that Erik had realized just what he'd done. Of course, he'd had her consent, and he'd been very gentle with her, but he still felt guilty. Christine was so young… just eighteen at the time! And he'd taken her innocence from her… that was something he could never return to her!

Erik had turned over and looked at her sleeping form. Oh, she was so beautiful… how had he been the one to take her for the first time? It was obvious to him that, like himself, she'd never taken a bed with anyone before! Why him? Oh, he must've hypnotized her somehow… there was no way she could've wanted this!

Oh, and he'd tainted her beauty, leaving dark marks on her neck, jaw, and collarbone… how could he allow himself to leave marks on her like that? Of course, they were marks of his love, but would Christine see them like that?

What would she say when she woke? Would she hate him?

Erik couldn't stand it. He didn't want to see her reaction when she woke, he didn't want to see the regret in her eyes.

And so he fled. With the police looking for him and Christine in his bed, he felt he couldn't stay. Erik needed to get out, to run from his problems… and he surely did.

He spent the next seven and a half months in hiding, traveling all over France as he tried to find somewhere to go elsewhere in Europe. He'd been to dozens of small villages, towns, and lived temporarily in even more inns and other, darker places. Finally, he had found a place that he could hide away in England, a place where no one would find him.

Not even Christine.

Erik had been in Calais, readying to board a boat to London, when he knew he had to return to his old lair. He had bought a paper from a young newsboy to read on the ship, but once he saw the headline of the second article on the sheet, he couldn't go without reading it any longer. '_Terror in Paris' _It read in big, bold letters.

The article was not very long and contained not photos, but it still frightened Erik just the same.

He flew through the article, his heart nearly stopping as he saw her name…

The paper stated that one of the hospitals in the city was in terror as a horrible child was delivered just early that same week. The midwives had described the child to have the face of a demon, looking like the antichrist…

And one said that it's mother was none other than the old singer who'd recently disappeared… Christine Daaé.

Christine… she'd had a child… and it bore a hideous face…

Erik knew that this child was none other than his. The timeline was nearly perfect, though it would mean the child was born much earlier than expected… oh, was it still alive? Where was Christine?

The questions were eating Erik alive and he knew he had to return. He quickly gathered the few things he had and got into a carriage, telling the driver to go as quickly as he could back to Paris.

* * *

><p>Erik arrived in Paris early in the morning the next day, just before noon. He hadn't the slightest idea where Christine andor the child may be, but he knew he had to return to his lair. He had to see if the police had found it, if anything had happened. And so he went, dashing through the frozen streets and trying to be unseen, which ended up working out well for him, since everyone was desperate to be inside by warm fires.

The masked man dashed towards the Opera House, seeing the dim building at the end of the street. Once he got closer, he searched for an entrance, finally finding the same window that Christine had climbed in through just a few days earlier. He rushed towards the underground lake, stopping at the shore to find that his boat was not there. No! Someone had gone to his lair! Someone could still be there!

Quickly, Erik went around to the other side of the lake, finding a makeshift boat he'd made years ago in case something like this were to happen. Thanking God that he was prepared, Erik climbed in the boat and paddled across the water, docking it carelessly and hurrying into his home.

He was terribly conflicted as he found candles lit, doors opened, and wet footprints on the floor near the bathroom. Had someone been living here?!

Erik first went to the washroom, finding that the washbasin still had semi-warm water in it… someone was in the lair with him.

The floor was a bit wet and a towel was missing from the rack. God, was this person still walking around somewhere in a towel!? What on Earth was going on?

He thought he heard movement in another part of his home and then went to the kitchen, peering around and searching for more signs that someone was there. He found a half drunken glass of water on the table, along with a single dirty dish in the sink. So someone had been living here, but obviously not for long…

It was then that he heard it. A single, loud cry coming from his bedchamber. His eyes widened bigger than they ever had as he moved to the bedchamber, slowly opening the door and listening to the crying. He then heard someone shushing loudly in attempt to stop the crying, and soon, there were two people crying. He followed the cries to his armoire, noticing the missing towel on the floor as he slowly pulled open the doors.

The last thing Erik thought he'd find in his armoire was Christine Daaé.

"_Christine?"_


	5. Complications

Christine held the child close to her chest, pressing it's face to her bodice so Erik wouldn't have to see. She buried her face down by her child's, crying quietly as her whole body shook with fear. She couldn't run, she was cornered in the armoire… oh, what would Erik think? Would he hate her? Would he make her get rid of the child?

But what he did next shocked her. Christine felt herself being lifted from his closet and into his arms. "Do not cry, Christine…" he said softly as he held her in his arms. "Come now, breath for a moment…"

He carried her to his bed and let her lay down, though she still kept her child's head pressed close to her bodice. The baby cried and cried, feeling uncomfortable in the position. Of course, that made Christine more upset, for she didn't want to hurt her child, yet she couldn't show Erik.

Sensing that she was uncomfortable, Erik took a step away. He listened a moment to the child's cries before turning his back to them. "Feed the child. I will look away until you are comfortable," he stated, keeping his back turned.

Shyly, Christine sniffled and lifted her crying daughter from her bodice, unbuttoning the buttons of Erik's shirt she'd put on to free a breast for Evangeline to nurse from. And Erik had been right; she was indeed in need of nursing. The child immediately stopped crying as she found her mother's nipple and suckled softly.

Christine looked slowly towards Erik, whose back was still turned to her. She gave a soft sigh before speaking. "You… you may turn around.." she told him, making sure that he still would not be able to see the child's face. As soon as she gave him the okay to turn, he did so, his golden eyes locking onto hers. "Christine… forgive me for leaving you…" Erik said, sitting slowly beside her.

Christine sat in silence for a moment. Forgive him for leaving? Oh, how could he think it would be that simple?

"Forgive you? Where did you go, Erik? I confessed my love to you, and then I woke up the next morning alone!" she said, her voice shaking as she recalled the last time she saw him. She felt the anger and the sadness she'd felt returning to her and her heart sped up, beating faster as she felt those emotions once more.

"I had no choice, Christine," Erik sighed, returning her back to reality. "I was in danger,_ you_ were in danger… I had to protect you and myself…"

"No," she cut him off, feeling the sudden strength to do so. "No, I don't care. Didn't you realize that I still needed you? Look, Erik! I-I had a child, _our _child, and you weren't even there!"

Erik then glanced down to the tiny baby, who was still nursing quietly. He couldn't quite see her face, but what he could see was the large birthmark in her hair…

"Is it true what I hear about out child, Christine?" he asked quietly, barely loud enough for her to hear.

The statement brought Christine to a frozen state as she stared at him. Did he know? How did he know? If Erik knew, was it possible that everyone else in Paris knew?

Tears began to fill Christine's eyes. "H-How did you know?" she asked, trying to conceal them and keep them from falling onto her flawless cheeks. Erik only sighed, pressing a soft kiss to Christine's temple and letting her come closer, crying on his shoulder. She covered the child's face with her hand as she cried, still afraid he would reject it if he saw.

"It was in the paper… I was headed to London when I read it… I just had to come back and help, it's my fault…" Erik whispered, running his fingers through her wild chocolate curls.

Christine began shaking her head, sitting up more. "No, it's my fault… I wasn't in good health during my pregnancy, it's my fault that she looks the way she does…"

The man in the mask let out a sad, quiet laugh. "I've nearly forgotten that I've never shown it to you…" he said, looking down. "Let me see her face, Christine… then I will show you why she looks the way she does…"

Knowing she had no other option, Christine slowly lifted her shaky hand from the child's face, revealing her distorted features, which were only extended as she puckered her lips to nurse. Erik examined her little face, letting his finger gently touch her stretched cheek and shifted mouth, closing his eyes slowly.

"Erik, I'm sorry…" Christine began, but Erik wouldn't let her finish. "It is not your fault," he said instead. "It's mine."

He opened his eyes to find her looking at his eyes. Erik had never wanted to show her what was hiding behind his mask, but now he knew he had to. Slowly, he lifted his hand and began to remove the porcelain, revealing his horrid distortion.

Christine eyes widened a bit as she saw it. It was so similar to Evangeline's… though his looked even more gruesome! She couldn't help but panic a little, looking down at her child and back to him. Tears welled up in her eyes and she began to cry, not knowing what to say or do about this. To say she was a little afraid would not be a lie, but she was more heartbroken. If she would've known, would she have still risked having their child? 

Seeing Christine cry broke Erik's heart. He quickly got up and covered his face, turning away from her. "I knew it, Christine, I knew you would react this way. That's why I never showed you. You were supposed to go the rest of your life without having to see my horrible face, but now look! You've seen it, and our child has been cursed with it!"

His voice was filled with anger. Anger at himself, at the world. Christine became frightened and tried to get up. "No, Erik, forgive me! I do not cry over your face! I cry because I fear for us! Where will we go, Erik? They hate our child, they've seen her face… w-what will they do when they find her father shares the same features? And what will become of me?"

Was she so selfish? How dare she! "Christine, are you truly saying you do not want to be seen with me and our hideous child?!"

She realized that what she said had sounded awful, though she didn't mean it to sound that way. "N-No! She's not hideous… and neither are you! I… I want us to be safe, I want our daughter to be safe, Erik…"

He shook his head as his temper slowly died down. "Christine… we will never be safe… we have to hide out from the world… they can never see her, never see me or you… it's better that way…"

Christine thought about this for a moment. She would never see her friends again, never get to sing at the opera… never go outside and walk through the Parisian streets, never go to the market or the parks… She would be isolated.

But she would be with Erik and Evangeline.

"Where would we live?" she asked quietly.

Erik turned to her and looked around. "Here. We would live here, raise the child here… we have everything we need. She would grow up well… we would make sure of it," he said, looking back down at the child. She was now finished nursing and beginning to fall asleep in her mother's arms, her deformed mouth attempting to stretch as she yawned.

"What have you named her, Christine?" he asked quietly, a softer tone taking over his voice.

The young soprano looked up to him, then down to the child. "Evangeline," she said softly. "Evangeline Marguerite…"

Oh, what a beautiful name for his little girl! He wondered when she had been born…

"Christine, what is our angel's birthdate?" he asked softly, taking a seat beside her and looking down at the baby.

She thought for a moment before answering. "The fourteenth of December," she said, relaxing a bit more now that Erik's temper was under control.

Though now it wasn't Erik's temper to worry about. It was Christine herself! It was only the eighteenth today! Christine was not supposed to be out of bed! She could severely injure herself… her health could decline rapidly!

"Christine, lay back down for a moment…" he said gently, standing once more. Confused, Christine slowly laid down against his pillows, watching Erik as he moved to the foot of the bed. Erik quickly examined her, finding her to indeed be in poor health. Her skin was paler, she seemed dirtier and her hair was all knotted. She even still had a little blood between her legs from labor! Did she get thrown out of the hospital before they even cleaned her?

"Christine, I'm afraid that you are not going to be out of bed for a long while…" he said. "You've still got some healing to do."

Christine hated it, but she had to agree.

Though, what Erik wasn't telling her was that some of the complications he was seeing could kill her…


	6. Pain

To be completely honest, Erik was shocked that she hadn't died in childbirth, like many other women before her. What he found beneath the hem of the shirt was horrific. There was more blood than he'd expected, and her skin was still stretched far more than it normally should be. It was definitely not what a healthy woman should look like…

"Christine, I want you to get you in the bath immediately," he said. "And then straight back to bed, and I will clean you up every few hours… I have to make sure you heal." Erik was worried out of his mind for her, for he had never expected it to be as bad as it was.

Of course, Christine rejected this, for she did not think it was bad, but she didn't have Erik's line of vision. "No, I'm alright, I just need rest is all…" she said, adjusting the shirt she was wearing so her chest was covered. She cradled her daughter in her arms, looking down at her face and rocking her, trying to make sure she was comfortable.

Erik shook his head, going over and lifting Christine from his bed. "Christine, you must listen to me. You cannot see how damaged you are… you must take the steps to heal, and you need a bath… I can hold the child as you bathe, trust me…" He carried her to the washroom, filling the washbasin with the warmest water he could. Christine tried to argue once more, most likely because she was afraid of having her privacy invaded, but Erik couldn't worry about that now.

"N-No, Erik, please, I-I don't want to!" she cried out, shaking her head and trying to block his hands from undoing the buttons of the shirt. To Erik, she was just being dramatic, and he ignored her pleas, forcing his way past her arms and unbuttoning the shirt. "Christine, you either let me undress you properly, or I will put you in that tub with the shirt on, and trust me, that will be much more uncomfortable for you," he grumbled, losing his patience with her.

Defeated, Christine sighed and looked down at her lap, moving her arms and letting him unbutton the shirt. He slowly began to reveal her, trying to focus his eyes on the shirt and not her body, for he was still afraid of making her feel as if he were preying on her. But that's when he noticed something else wrong with her.

"Christine… when was your last meal?" he asked, noticing that even though she still had baby weight on her, it was obvious that she was still very malnourished. Oh, the poor girl!

"I-I…" she began, once again trying to hide her body. "I… when I lived… I didn't get to…" Christine found she couldn't even form a sentence to explain it. She hadn't eaten a real meal in months, only being able to eat old breads that the bakery would throw out, or something generous people may hand out to the homeless once in a while, but never meals. Just enough to keep her and the child in her womb alive…

"It was never meals," she breathed softly. "Only scraps, little things… never enough to keep full…"

It explained why their child was so small as well, for it seemed to be a bit malnourished itself.

Erik shook his head once more, lifting her into the bathwater. "I will fix you something to eat. You need to keep yourself fed in order to have the nutrients to feed the child… I will take her now, you clean up. We will be back to check on you in a few moments, and I will make you something to eat." The masked man took his infant daughter into his arms, slowly exiting the washroom and heading towards the kitchen.

Once alone, Erik took the time to truly examine his daughter. He took in her features, tracing each bump and curve, twist and dent of her face. The child's tiny eyes began to open and she looked up at him, her tiny blue and gold orbs twinkling in the candlelight.

"Oh Evangeline…" he whispered, smoothing the tiny amount of hair she had back from her face. "Forgive me for what I have done to you, my child… I swear, if I could turn back the clock and change this, I would… I would save you, my love, from this world of hatred and hurt… I would do it in a heartbeat…"

He pressed a small kiss to her tiny forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment as he tried to control the emotions he was feeling. He was sad, angry, broken inside… he was responsible for all the hell this child would go through in her life… she would never get to have other children to play with, for they would all be afraid of her. She would never get to play outside, in the open world, for the public would shun her and force her back into the darkness. She may never be able to marry, for the men would not find her appealing enough… and if she was to marry, who was to say that her husband wouldn't use her and have many affairs behind her back?

Oh, it was horrible… everything, horrible… how could he have let this happen to her? His little girl…

The child began to make little noises, trying to open it's mouth, but finding it was extremely hard. Oh, and it must've hurt, for soon, she started to cry softly.

"Oh, Evangeline, my love, do not cry… I know, it will hurt at first, my child, but it will go away… the muscles, they stretch, they extend… they will learn to pull in a better way, and you will not hurt…" he said quietly, rocking her gently in his arms, his heart breaking as she cried in pain. He tried his best to calm her, but as she cried, her mouth tried to extend more, only causing her more pain.

"E-Erik?" Christine called from the washroom, feeling worried as she heard Evangeline's cries. "Erik, what's wrong, is she alright?"

Erik quickly turned towards the washroom, hearing the water splashing as if she was trying to get out. "Stay put, Christine! She is alright… her mouth is just hurting her, that is all… don't worry, alright?"

He soon heard the water settle again and Christine was silent. Luckily, she seemed to at least trust him a little. Erik rocked the child in his arms once more, walking around the kitchen and hushing her until she calmed, her little mouth resting in a closed position. He sighed in relief, for he could only hope she was slowly learning to rest her mouth so it wouldn't hurt her.

It was then that Erik began to prepare something to eat for Christine. He started out by getting her fresh bread, deciding he would make her a real meal once she was back in bed. He placed the bread along with butter and jam on a small plate and placed it on the bedside table, then taking the time to head to the washroom to check on her.

Christine looked up from her dirty bathwater and reached her arms out for her daughter. Erik nodded softly and handed her to Christine, letting the child nuzzle up against her mother's chest, feeling the warmth of her skin and hearing the familiar sound of her heartbeat.

"May I check you, Christine?" Erik asked gently, sitting beside the washbasin and locking his eyes onto hers. Christine looked away, biting her lip a bit, but after a moment, she nodded, knowing it was the right decision.

Erik slowly reached his hand into the water, trying to see her beneath the murkiness. He noticed that most of the blood had washed away, and even in the short time she'd been in the bath, the swelling had begun to go down.

"You may get out now, I will help you… but I want you to have warm rags tied around you, to keep that swelling and inflammation down. I will finish making you supper as well, but for now, the fresh bread I've laid out will help keep you at least a little nourished."

With a bit of her help, Erik lifted Christine out of the bath, wrapping a towel around her before bringing her back to the bedroom. He then replaced the towel with a warm blanket, wrapping it around her, under her arms so she could still cradle the now sleeping child. Erik went back to the washroom, getting two rags soaked with hot water, as hot as he could make it and as Christine could bare it, bringing them back and beginning to tie them around her. She cringed, hating the odd feeling of the rags, but accepting it only because Erik wanted her to.

"I will go finish cooking…" he said softly, pulling the blanket back over her feet once he had finished tying the rags. "You rest… you deserve it."

Erik stood to leave, going back to the kitchen, but was stop by a sweet soprano voice before he could make it out the doorway.

"Erik?"

He turned slightly, looking back towards Christine, whose eyes were soft as they gazed at his own, something seeming to twinkle in them.

"Yes, Christine?"

She looked down at her child, their child, and sighed softly, giving a small smile, one that only Erik could know was there. "Thank you for everything… you've truly saved us…" she said in almost a whisper.

The masked man couldn't help but give a small smile himself. "I would never even think about not helping you, Christine… the pleasure is all mine."

And with that, he headed back to the kitchen, ready to continue helping until his love and daughter were well again.


	7. Two Kisses

Before either Erik or Christine knew it, the week was nearly over. Christine had been with Erik for about five days, lying in his bed and helping him take care of baby Evangeline. Of course, Erik was doing an excellent job with the child, bathing her, changing her, keeping her company. He'd even gone out and purchased some fabric so Christine could sew the child a new blanket and a jumper to keep her warm during the cold winter nights, along with materials to create a little bassinet. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

"You're looking much better, Christine…" the masked man said, pulling her skirt down after he had finished examining her. Erik had made it a priority that he check on her condition every day, at least once. He wanted to make sure she was healing and that he give her the proper treatments, whether it be a bath, rags, or other remedies.

"That is good news…" she said in return, though she was a bit distracted by her little baby, who was snuggled close in her arms. Christine slowly raised her eyes from the child and looked over at Erik, giving a soft smile as he made sure she was covered. "Thank you…"

Erik gave a nod before standing, pondering something for a moment. "Christine… would you like to try and walk around a little bit?" he asked with furrowed brows, for he was still in thought.

Christine sat up a little more. "Walk around? Erik, you haven't let me leave bed for nearly a week. And when I do need to get up, you've carried me. Are you sure I am ready to get up and walk around?"

A small chuckle came up from Erik's throat as he went to her, taking the child from her arms and bringing her over to the makeshift bassinet Erik had built for now. He kissed her head and laid the sleeping child down before returning to Christine. "I just want to see how you are doing. I want to see if it hurts when you walk. Come, I will help you up."

He went to her, taking her hands into his and helping her slowly stand. Christine was reluctant at first, but listened and finally stood on her feet. She clung tightly to Erik, for it did hurt her a little to stand up. Erik noticed this and held her close, wrapping an arm around her and laying his hand on her hip to support her. "It's alright, Christine… you tell me when you want to lay back down."

She nodded, taking in a breath to calm herself and trying to take a step. Oh, how had she walked so much after being thrown out of the hospital? This pain was horrid! "I-I can't go far… it hurts…" she whimpered, holding tightly to his arm and squeezing her eyes shut.

Erik felt awful for making her try and quickly lifted her into his arms, carrying her back over to the bed. He laid her back down and sat beside her. "Where exactly does it hurt, dear Christine?" he asked in a hushed voice.

The young soprano laid her head back, keeping her eyes nearly closed. "All of my injuries hurt. It's like I'm never going to heal!"

"Now, don't say that… I will go run you a bath, or would you like me to get your rags?" He asked, taking her hand and stroking it with his thumb.

Christine looked up to him, slowly opening her eyes all the way. "Just comfort me… that's all I need…" she said softly and shyly.

Erik was a bit surprised when she asked him to comfort her, but he certainly did not say no to it. Instead, he climbed into bed with her, with limited hesitation, and let her snuggle in close. Christine laid her head of wild curls on his chest, wrapping her arms around his warm body, letting Erik do the same.

He stroked her curls gently with his fingers, trying to bring her as much comfort as he could. All was silent in the room until Christine began to speak, her voice quiet and soft as it brushed past her lips.

"Erik…" she spoke, "Do you love me?"

Erik froze, his eyes wide as he stared up at the ceiling. Had she asked that, or had he been hearing things? Oh, she must've! Why had she asked this now? And… what was she thinking about?

He fought to come up with the right answer, and before he realized it, an entire minute had passed by. Christine slowly raised her head and looked down at him, the tiniest frown upon her face as she awaited his answer.

"I-I…. I must be honest and say I was not expecting this question," he said nervously, his voice shaking a little.

Christine furrowed her brows a little, though her eyes were sad. "Does this mean that you do not love me?"

"N-No!" he exclaimed. "Of… of course I love you, Christine… I mean… I l-love you more than anything… I always have…"

She laid her forehead down against his and sighed, her big, blue eyes gazing into his golden ones. "Then promise me you'll never leave me again," she said.

Erik was mesmerized by her intense stare, her twinkling eyes catching him off guard. He nodded slowly, never taking his eyes off of hers. "I-I promise, you have my absolute true word, Christine," he said, meaning every word of it.

Christine slowly nodded as well, knowing that he wouldn't break his word. "Alright… thank you," she mumbled, though not taking her eyes off of his.

What she did next completely shocked Erik, for he had definitely not expected it at all. Suddenly, her lips were upon his, pressing a gentle kiss to them! Oh, she kissed him! An Angel had kissed him! Oh, how he had missed the feeling of her soft lips on his, it had been nearly a year since he'd last been given a kiss!

Erik could hardly believe it! He froze once more, his eyes wide open as she kissed him. The kiss itself seemed to last hours, but in reality, it was only a few seconds long. Once it was done, Christine laid her head back down on his chest, closing her eyes and snuggling back up to him.

"You get one for now, and you can save the other for later," she said, giving a small yawn.

Oh, she truly was an Angel! She'd given him a kiss, and she was saving yet another for him later! He was the luckiest man in the entire world! Erik sat in shock and utter amazement for a little while before pressing a kiss to her head, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

"Christine… you are bright than the sun, the moon, and all of the stars… thank you for letting me cherish you…" he whispered, watching as a smile formed on her face as she fell asleep.


	8. The Bell

Erik was awoken later that night by a soft crying, a crying so small and innocent, he knew it must've been the child's. Not wanting to wake Christine, he slowly slipped from the bed, laying her sleeping form upon a pillow, watching as she instinctively curled up to it. The masked man made his way to the bassinet and peered inside, seeing the child beginning to fuss a bit louder. As soon as the infant felt a presence, she opened her tear-filled eyes and looked up. Erik stared into her sunken eyes, the brilliant blue-gold orbs locking right onto his own. Evangeline began to calm for only a moment, staring up at the man she would soon learn was her father, her eyes filled with a dulling curiosity.

Erik pitied the child greatly. Little girls like her were supposed to be adorable, beautiful little bundles of joy… and because of him, the child in the bassinet was everything but. Her face was horrific, like his own, and Erik knew that she would never, ever come close to looking like the other little girls in Paris. She may grow to have a full head of beautiful little curls, a dainty little figure, and wear only the most adorable dresses, but she would always be cursed with that face…

He could see what looked like pity in the child's eyes as little tears ran down it's face, as if it knew that it was abhorrently ugly, that it would never be the perfect little girl every father dreamed of. Erik sighed and lifted the child from it's bed, rocking it gently and kissing it's head.

"Hush now, my darling…" he whispered softly, stroking her tiny back. "Do not cry… we wouldn't want to wake your mother now, would we? It is alright… I will protect you…"

Evangeline let out a few more small cries, but quickly calmed at the sound of her father's voice. Her breathing evened out a bit and her tiny eyes dried, calming Erik a bit. He gently sat down in a chair he had brought in from the parlor, holding the child out in front of him.

"Forgive me, my child…"he said, gently covering the large mark on her head with his hand. "If I would've known… we… we would've been more careful… I would've never done this purposefully to you… You see, a little girl like you deserves all the beauty in the world. As does your mother, and I have ripped all of that beauty from her life…

"Now you, my dear, are in a way, lucky, as am I. We both will get to look at your mother's beauty every day of our lives, and we will have a taste of all things beautiful when she appears. I promise you, it will make any bad day you have in the future so, so much better…"

The child watched him carefully, her eyes following every move he made. Erik felt oddly reminded of how he was as a child, and she certainly had many of his personal and mental characteristics, along with physical. The more he watched her, the more curious he grew.

Letting his curiosity take over, Erik got up and went over to his armoire, pulling it open and digging out a small chest. He opened it slowly, and amongst other jewels and trinkets, he found one of the bells that Marie had strung to his cradle as a child. Erik placed it in his daughter's tiny hands and sat back down, waiting to see if she would do anything.

To a bit of his surprise, the child almost immediately began to shake the bell. Erik held back a chuckle as her eyes grew wide as she heard the noise it made. She continued to shake it, intoxicated by the little chiming it made.

In no time, just as Erik had done at her age, she began to shake the bell in a little rhythm, throwing her hand forward in different tempos and creating a little melody.

Erik only snapped back to reality when he heard another noise in the room. Christine's sleepy voice echoed softly, saying his name as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. "W-What's wrong?" she asked with a yawn.

He turned to her and went to the bed, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Do not fret, Christine… the child was just a bit lonely, that's all," he answered, still cradling the baby in his arms.

"But… what is that sound?" she asked, squinting as she looked up to Erik.

Deciding to show her this genius, this miracle of music their child possessed, he sat on the edge of the bed, tilting the child towards it's mother and watching as little Evangeline lit up with excitement. She shook her little bell in a new rhythm, obviously excited to show her mother what she had discovered she could do with the bell.

Christine's eyes widened as she watched and listened, immediately hearing the pattern. "B-But… h-how is that possible?!" she exclaimed, looking quickly to Erik. "I've never heard of a baby being able to do that!"

Erik chuckled lightly and adjusted the child's position in his arms. "Well… I was able to. I presume that she gets this from me…"

The soprano shook her head in disbelief, reaching out and taking the baby gently into her arms. "I don't believe it… she is destined to be a genius! My little girl, a musical genius!" A large grin appeared on her face as she rocked the child, kissing her head happily. "Oh Erik, you've given me a little genius!"

He smiled as well, looking down at the child. "Well… at least I was able to pass along something good to her…" he said softly, watching as Evangeline continued shaking the bell.

Christine quickly looked to him, her grin disappearing and her eyes growing sad. "Erik…" she mumbled. "Don't say that… please, do not say that…"

Her small hand was soon on his unmasked cheek as she looked at him, continuing to speak. "You've done nothing wrong, Erik… you have done so much good to her… do not let her face make you forget about those things…"

Erik could hardly focus on the words she was saying, for all he could think about was her hand upon his face! Her touches were like those of an angel… and oh, that they were!

"Erik?"

He quickly snapped back to reality. "Forgive me… I will not speak like that any longer, not if it makes you upset. You have my word." His eyes drifted to her hand that still lay on his cheek, and he was suddenly reminded of earlier, when she had kissed him…

Christine gave a soft smile and a quiet, 'Thank you', before gently bringing her hand back down from his cheek. She handed off Evangeline to Erik, who put her back in the bassinet, though she did not sleep. Instead, she continued to jingle the bell, listening in amazement.

Her mother giggled quietly as she lay back in bed. "I can already tell we'll be hearing that bell all night," she said, smiling to Erik.

He gave a quiet laugh and sat down beside her once more, watching as her eyes shined in the candlelight. Christine lifted the covers a bit, allowing Erik to climb in beside her, longing to be embraced in his warmth. Too long had she been sleeping out in the cold, alone without arms to be held in. She never wanted to know that awful feeling again, so she instinctively curled up close to him, her eyes silently pleading Erik to wrap his arms around her.

And, of course, Erik did. He brought her close to him, letting her rest against his chest as he gently stroked her back. "I must say… I am quite excited to hear how she improves as she grows… if she's already creating rhythms at this age, I cannot fathom what she may be doing in a year from now."

Christine smiled and nodded. "It gives me hope that she could be a very special little girl someday… more special than she already is. Maybe the world will see past her deformities… and they will find a little Angel of Music."

Erik's heart fluttered, for what she was saying was so great for him to hear… not only was she accepting this child, a child who many other women, including his own mother, would throw to the side and ignore, she was welcoming these talents along with Evangeline's face. Oh, Christine was a perfect mother!

"And the world will accept her, we will make sure it is so…" he said softly, stroking her wild curls. "Now, get some rest, dear Christine… heaven knows what may be in store for us in the coming days."

Christine giggled and nodded, giving him a platonic kiss on the cheek before slowly falling asleep upon Erik's chest.

And throughout the night, they could hear the soft jingling of a tiny bell coming from Evangeline's bassinet.


	9. Tears and Tantrums

For days, weeks, and months afterwards, they continued to hear the little bell. And after some time, Erik strung up all of the little bells in a sort of mobile for her, letting Evangeline play with the bells as she grew, able to sit up on her own by four months. The young child would giggle as she rang the bells in different patterns, even beginning to figure out how to make some of them ring louder than others. Christine would sit and just watch and listen for nearly hours on end, fascinated on how much the child was learning.

By six months, Evangeline was beginning to stand with the aid of furniture. She would cling to chairs, low tables, and other things to allow herself to stand, just like her mother and father did. Not too long after, she was attempting to form words, finally yelling out the word 'Mama!' one day as she sat impatiently in her crib. Christine had come running quickly into the room, calling for Erik as the child continued to call for it's mother. And soon enough, she was also calling Erik, 'Papa'.

Evangeline was still quite small for her age, which she had obviously gotten from Christine, since Erik was extremely tall. She also began to grown light brown hair, which curled nearly as widely as her mother's. It sat in a heap around her cheeks, framing her face and often getting in her way. In an attempt to help, Christine would tie some of it back with a ribbon, though Evangeline would usually have it pulled from her hair within the hour.

The young girl was definitely developing well, though her face still gave Erik a grim reminder of what he'd done to her. Though Christine seemed to notice less and less, giving her daughter more and more kisses and telling her how beautiful she looked, which always brought a smile to the young protégé's face.

Things had also been changing and developing between Christine and Erik…

Lately, the two had been spending all of their downtime together, doing little things like cooking together, bathing Evangeline, or washing clothes. And best of all, Christine had even been giving him a few kisses lately!

But Erik didn't understand why. Why would she kiss him, especially after all he'd done?

So, one night, after Evangeline had fallen asleep, Erik questioned her about it. Her response, to his surprise, was quite simple. "Well, we have a child together, and we were very in love, Erik… I do not see why we cannot still be like that."

And Erik nearly fell out of his chair! Did this mean that she still loved him, after over a year?! How was this possible? He didn't understand!

"So… d-does that mean… that I may kiss you?" he asked shyly, feeling his cheeks dare to turn a bit pink.

Christine smiled softly at his sudden innocence, taking one of her hands into his own. "Erik… you may kiss me whenever you want… remember, you still have that one kiss you are saving," she giggled.

Erik's heart sped up suddenly in his chest. He could kiss her whenever he wanted! It was both extremely exciting and extremely awkward for Erik… for how was he supposed to just randomly initiate kisses between them? Especially after not doing much courtship like things in the last year…

Luckily for him, Christine had taken it upon herself to kiss him first. She pressed her soft, angelic lips to his own, smiling against them as she felt him tense, then relax quickly. She let the kiss linger for a moment before pulling away gently and resting her forehead against his. "See? It's not that hard to show our love…" Christine said softly.

Erik sat frozen for a moment, his eyes locked onto hers as his heart continued pounding in his chest. It'd been nearly two years since he'd felt this feeling he was feeling now…

He pressed his lips to hers once more, laying one hand on her waist and the other on her cheek. Christine was a bit surprised by his urgency, but welcomed it eagerly. She even allowed things to go a bit further, as his desires became a bit more evident. He gently pressed her down against the mattress, and that was when Christine stopped him.

"Erik…" she whispered softly. Erik immediately stopped and looked to her, seeing a little smile on her lips. "Someone's watching…"

Erik then looked over to find Evangeline sitting up in her crib, a confused expression on her face. Her father chuckled lightly and went over, kissing her head and letting his finger rest under her chin. "My darling… you must sleep now, alright? Here, what if Mama and Papa went into another room to let you sleep?"

The child shook her head quickly. "No Papa. You sleep. Mama, too."

A small frown appeared on the masked man's face. "Evangeline, it is your time to sleep, not your mother and mine."

Once more, the child shook her head. "No Papa! You sleep!" she commanded, becoming frustrated.

Knowing this was not the time to argue with his nine month old daughter, Erik sighed and nodded. "Fine. You may have your way tonight, Evangeline. But not all the time. Got it?"

She let out a puff of air and laid back, feeling frustrated with her father, but still agreeing to keep out of trouble. Erik kissed her head gently and blew out the few candles in the room before returning to Christine.

"I apologize… I guess I'll have to set up the Louis-Philippe as her own room… heaven knows what she'll learn in this room."

Christine laughed and gave him a soft kiss before curling up to his chest and sighing. "She'll behave. But I do agree, it would be good for her to have her own room… maybe that's what we can do tomorrow. That'll also keep her busy, don't you think?"

Erik nodded and kissed her head, holding her closer. "Yes… I will think about it overnight. We will see. Goodnight, Christine."

"Goodnight Erik."

Then, after a moment of brief silence, another little voice joined in. "Night night," Evangeline said before beginning to play with her bells once more. By now, both parents were used to the bells, so they had no problem sleeping through them, even when Evangeline began to jingle them as hard as she could.

Though this would no longer be a problem, for the next day, Erik had brought all of Evangeline's furniture into the Louis-Philippe room, setting it up as a nursery for the child. At first, Evangeline was very angry about not being able to stay in her parents' room. She threw a tantrum, stomping her little feet and ripping the bow out of her hair Christine had just tied in. She screamed loudly, throwing the bow to the ground and throwing one of her bells at her mother.

Of course, this tantrum upset Christine, for this was the worst Evangeline had had. She'd had tantrums before when things weren't going how she wanted them to, but she'd never thrown anything at Christine. The young soprano began to cry and tried to calm her daughter, but it wasn't quite working.

Erik came in then, scolding the child for throwing a tantrum and making her mother cry. "Evangeline!" he yelled. "Stop this nonsense! You apologize to your mother, look how you have made her upset! That is not how good girls behave!"

Evangeline was quite stubborn, just like Erik, and at first, she would not apologize. She simply stood with a pout on her face, arms crossed angrily. This only caused Christine to become more upset, for she had no idea how to handle a child with such a temper. She was trying her best, but it was proving to be too difficult…

"Evangeline. Apologize right now. Don't you love your mother?" Erik said, his tone showing how angry he was that she was behaving this way.

Of course, Evangeline loved her mother dearly, and she would never want Christine to think that she didn't love her. So slowly, the young girl went to her mother and picked up the ribbon and bell along the way, hugging Christine leg and whispering an, 'I'm sorry, Mama.'

Christine accepted the apology with open arms, lifting the child up and kissing her as she sniffled away her tears. "It's alright, my love… Mama just doesn't like when you get angry like that… promise me you won't get angry, Evangeline?"

Evangeline nodded and began to jingle her bell, cooperating as Christine tied in her hair ribbon once more.

After that, Erik showed Evangeline how her room was coming along, and the child was happy once more. She ran into the room and began to look around, realizing that this was all hers. She was much more willing now to help her mother and father finish putting the final touches on the room, and by Evangeline's bedtime, it was finished. Both parents laid her down to rest, giving her the bells she refused to be parted from, and kissed her disfigured lips before going back to their own room to have a little alone time of their own…


	10. Ghosts and Monsters

Christine was awoken one winter's morning by a small voice that seemed to be singing to her. She quickly sat up, careful not to wake Erik as she looked around. "Evangeline?" she called softly, afraid that the child was up an out of bed. "Evangeline… are you in here?"

The voice continued, singing nonsense words and mostly singing sounds, floating around the room. Christine was terrified, the little voice so beautiful, yet so eerie as is flooded her mind.

Suddenly, she saw a face in the darkness, standing at the end of the bed and placing it's hands upon the blankets. Christine wanted to scream and nearly did before she realized what this presence was.

"Evangeline, you've frightened me!" she scolded in a loud whisper. "What are you doing out of bed, young lady?"

The child ceased her singing and hurried to her mother's side, reaching up and grasping her fingers. "Mama… there is something in the nursery," she said in her small speaking voice. The child had just had her first birthday, though Christine felt like she was dealing with a child much older than just one.

Nevertheless, she followed to the nursery, being pulled along by her small daughter. Evangeline tugged open the door and pointed to the rocking chair in the corner, where one of her new dolls sat. Christine's eyes widened a bit as he lit a candle, crouching beside the porcelain toy.

"Evangeline… don't you remember? This was a birthday present to you, my darling… why are you afraid of it?" Christine asked, touching the pink cheeks it had and cradling it in her hands.

Evangeline shook her head as she stood beside her mother. "I'm not scared, Mama," she said. "It talks."

All of the color began to fade from Christine's face. It talked? That was impossible! "What do you mean, Evangeline?" she asked, her voice suddenly beginning to shake.

"It was singing to you," the child answered, looking up to her mother. "You waked up."

She nearly fainted then. Was this another one of the child's tricks, or was she being serious? No… she had to be playing a joke on her… this was impossible!

"Back to bed, Evangeline," Christine sighed, setting the doll back on the rocking chair and lifting her child back into the crib. She blew out the candle and left the room, heading back to bed as well.

Though, as soon as she was in bed, the voice returned, dragging her out from underneath the covers and down the hall to the nursery, where Christine froze in the doorway.

Immediately, Christine had thrown the doll out, shoved it away in a dark corner of the closet, and locked the chest it sat it.

This little doll and it's voice were the first of many major terrors. As months went by, more things began to sing to Christine, teasing her and driving her mad, and whenever they seemed to happen, Evangeline was nowhere in sight.

Erik was beginning to notice these things, seeing how distraught and distant Christine had been becoming. She walked around like a dead woman, hunching her back a bit as she stared straight forward, doing her mindless tasks… just like his own mother had done when he tortured her as a child…

But what could he do? Erik had spoken to Evangeline many times over the months, but she'd always denied it and became angry at him. By two, she'd even begun to ask him to 'prove it'. She'd claimed that it wasn't her, that the things speaking to her mother were ghosts.

Erik began keeping a careful eye on Christine, and an especially careful eye on Evangeline.

Around the fall of Evangeline's second year, Christine grew ill. As much as the young woman attempted to hide it, it was obvious to both Erik and Evangeline. In fact, the child was the first to notice. She'd come running into her father's office one day, standing straight up and informing him that her mother was ill in the washroom.

That was the first of many more times Erik had seen Christine hunched over their toilet. She'd wretch horribly, complaining that her abdomen was paining her and getting sick all morning long.

It only took a few days for Erik to put the pieces together.

Christine had become pregnant once again.

The thought made Erik hate himself, for how could he let this happen? He would give her yet another flawed child that would terrorize her, frightening her out of her wits and driving her insane! What had he done?

It didn't take long for Christine to realize what was wrong, either. She'd cried and cried about it, not ready to have another child, too afraid that she couldn't handle it. And what would Evangeline do? How would she treat it? Would she love this child, or would she hate it? And would it be like her, taunting and terrorizing?

Christine made it clear that she didn't want the child about three months into her pregnancy, right around the time of Evangeline's next birthday. Erik had taken Christine and Evangeline to the lake for fresh air, and as he sat with Christine on the banks, letting their daughter run around and get some of her energy out. "I don't want it," Christine had stated suddenly. "I cannot have the child, Erik… I-I'm far too afraid."

Erik had been stunned by her words, quickly trying to tell her that it would be alright. But Christine refused. She was too frightened that 'the ghosts would be angry' if she had another child.

"Darling, there are no ghosts, I promise it to you…" Erik had coaxed, touching his lover's gentle cheek as he attempted to comfort her. "Everything will be alright, I promise you…"

But it was then that they heard a scream. A small, high pitched yell of utter terror that sent Erik to his feet. Evangeline came running to him, crying hysterically. "Papa! There's a monster!" she sobbed, running to his arms and hugging him tightly. "I-In the water, Papa, in the water!"

Erik quickly brought the child to the water, searching for said monster, afraid that something was truly there that had frightened her. "Evangeline… what do you speak of? I see no monster…"

The child took a step closer to the water and looked down, screaming once more as she pointed to the water. Erik looked, only seeing her reflection staring back at her…

"Evangeline… my love, that is no monster…" he explained softly, his heart shattering.

"It is!" she cried. "It's a monster, Papa!"

Erik shook his head, having her look once more. "There is no monster… this is a reflection, my love… you can see yourself…"

Suddenly, the young girl's eyes widened as she stared, looking down at the horrific face that stared back at her, beginning to realize that _she_ was this monster…

The child whipped around, glaring at her mother as her small chest heaved. She pointed to her growing belly, her tiny hand shaking. "A monster! You will have another!" she shouted, tears rolling down her cheeks before she ran back into the house.

And on the night of Evangeline's third birthday, Christine found the doll sitting back in the rocking chair.


End file.
